Psychiatric illness in the elderly. A comparison of GP records and survey findings.

The GP records of 200 elderly people living at home were scrutinized and estimation made of physical and psychiatric disability. These estimations were compared with those made independently by a psychiatrist interviewing the subjects at home. There was a reasonable agreement between the two assessments of functional disorder and between the two assessments of physical disabilities.

[Allergy and lectins: action between IgE-mediated histamine release and glycoproteins from Viscum album L. (mistletoe)].

Low-molecular constituents from Viscum album (toxic) release, in irritatively toxic manner, histamine from human leukocytes without destroying the cells (cytotox test). This histamine release is prevented by preincubation with viscum lectins. The viscum lectin blocks the Fc-portion of allergen-specific IgE against anti-IgE [125I].

[Medium chain triglycerides in the feeding of praemature infants. Fat balance studies (author's transl)].

18 72-H Fat balance studies were performed in 9 premature infants with birthweights between 1650 and 2400 gm. At the age of two and three weeks, they received alternatively, one of two formulas identical in composition except for the type of fat: 30% of the vegetable fat in the first formula had been substituted by medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in the second formula. On the MCT-containing formula, the fat absorption significantly improved in the same infants as compared to their fat absorption capacity on the vegetable fat formula.

[Immunoglobulin E--formation, determination and significance].

The detection of class E of immunoglobulins 10 years ago led to a decisive progress in the pathogenesis and diagnostics of allergic diseases. In the literary survey several essential findings concerning the structure of the IgE and concerning the quantitative and qualitative recognition of the total IgE and the allergen-specific freely circulating or cellularly fixed IgE-antibodies are cited. Diagnostically usable changes of concentrations of the level of total IgE are described.

[On the preparation of intermediates in cobyrinic acid biosynthesis by suspensions of Propionibacterium shermanii (author's transl)].

The preparation of a dimethyltetrahtdrouroporphyrin (Faktor II or sirohydrochlorin) using suspensions of Propionibacterium shermanii as well as a promising method for the isolation of tetrapyrrols with at least four carboxy substituents from cell-free extracts and growth media are described. Also a Faktor II-analogue with three methyl groups which are derived from L-methionine is reported. Incorporation experiments indicate that this is an intermediate in cobyrinic acid formation.

A visual tracking machine.

The Visual Tracking Machine is an easily constructed device used for perceptual training with adults and children-with the following diagnoses: cerebral vascular accident, traumatic head injury, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and spina bifida. It offers activities for the following purpose: development of visual attention and eyemotility, stimulation to cross the midline, compensation iraining for homonymous hemianopsia, one-side neglect, eye-hand coordination, and motor planning. The machine features control over smoothness, speed, and direction of movement of a visual stimulus, eliminates a potentially distracting background, spans the whole visual field, motivates the patient by offering the opportunity for many challenging games, and offers variability in task difficulty.

[Report on the application of various Kveim antigens in diagnostic of sarcoidosis (author's transl)].

In the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis, Novi Sad, a total number of 1500 patients was tested with a Kveim antigen prepared in this institute. Simultaneously these patients were tested with other antigens (SILTZBACH, BEHREND, DOUGLAS). Almost identical results could be found.

Cognitive function and length of survival in elderly subjects living at home.

177 people aged 65 or over, chosen at random from larger representative samples of elderly people living at home in Newcastle upon Tyne, were given the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) or a shortened form of it, and followed up for 7 years or till death. Discriminated function analysis showed that the power of the test score to predict death occurring within 2 years was not explained away by its correlations with age, sex, social class or physical disability. Exclusion of clinically diagnosed chronic brain syndromes reduced but did not abolish the relationship found to exist between test score and outcome.

Acrodermatitis enteropathica. II. Zinc deficiency and ultrastructural findings.

The basic defect in acrodermatitis enteropathica (A.E.) is zinc deficiency caused by zinc malabsorption.

[On cobyrinic acid biosynthesis. Novel methylated hydroporphyrins and their role in cobyrinis acid formation (author's transl)].

Clostridium tetanomorphum and Propionibacterium shermanii were examined for intermediates in the synthetic pathway uroporphyrinogen III leads to cobyrinic acid. The isolation of two novel methylated hydroporphyrins, whose methyl groups are derived from S-adenosyl-L-methionine, is described. Spectroscopic (field desorption-mass, visible absorption) und electrophoretic studies as well as incorporation of labelled substrates indicate that they are analogues of a dihyrouroporphyrin and a tetrahydrouroporphyrin with adjacent reduced rings.

[Alternative ways of fluoride supplementation in childhood (author's transl)].

Fluorine is a nutritionally essential trace element. Fluoride concentration in drinking water of West Germany is very low, with rare exceptions. Fluoride intake with food therefore is inadequate.

[Influence of rhodanid applied during phase of immunisation on the development of experimental bronchial asthma in guinea pig (author's transl)].

A state similar to bronchial asthma was provoced in guinea pigs by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin followed by inhalation of ovalbumin-aerosol. Pulmonary impedance, the ratio of maximal esophagus pressure and tidal volume, was decreased significantly by treatment of rhodanid.

Skim milk in infant feeding.

Skim milk in infant feeding. Acta Paediatr Scand, 66:17, 1977. --Ninety-four infants were enrolled at 112 days of age in a study of food intake and growth and 88 were considered to have completed satisfactorily the planned 56 days of observation.

[Isolation and characterization of mistletoe extracts (Viscum album L.). II. Effect of agglutinating and cytotoxic fractions on mouse ascites tumor cells].

Lectin from mistletoe (Viscum album L.) was studied for its relations with the toxins from Viscum album, ascites tumor cells of mouse, and human immunoglobulins. Using affinity chromatography on glutaraldehyde-crosslinked IgG (human) from viscum crude extract, a fraction was isolated which exhibited full agglutination capacity and high toxicity.

The characteristics of old people receiving and needing domiciliary services: the relevance of psychiatric diagnosis.

A sample of 447 people aged 65 years and over, randomly selected from electoral rolls, were visited in their homes, independently, by a medical social worker and a psychiatrist. Twelve per cent were receiving domiciliary services from the Local Authority and a further 20% were considered to require them. The types of services received and recommended are described and the medical, social and psychiatric services of those receiving services, in need of them, and the remainder are compared.

[Experiments on the medicamental treatment of the noise-induced cochlear damage. Part I. The effect of dipyridamol and allopurinol on the RMP of the cochlea (guinea pig) after noise (author's transl)].

Dipyridamol has in addition to a coronardilatating effect an ati-thrombotic one too. Moreover it facilitates the release of O2 from haemoglobin by increase of the concentration of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in the erythrocytes. Allopurinol causes a potential resynthesis of ATP in the cells by inhibition of the metabolism of uric acid.

[Possibilities of the immunological in vitro-diagnostic in nonspecific lung diseases (author's transl)].

Immunological in vitro-methods can be used in the improved diagnostic of nonspecific lung diseases. A short review is given about the recommended tests in the diagnostic of the four types of immunological reactions responsible for allergic disorders of the lungs (IgE-mediated immediate-reaction, cytotoxic-reaction, Arthus-reaction and cell-mediated hypersensitivity), the alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and the immunological defence in the bronchial mucosa.

[Immunological aspects in lung diseases (author's transl)].

The immunological aspects of allergic disorders of the lung (Type I-IV by Gell and Coombs, drug hypersensitivity, auto-immune diseases) and non-allergic lung diseases (emphysema in alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, bronchial carcinoma) are described. The short review is closed with remarks about the immunological defence in the bronchial mucosa.

Acrodermatitis enteropathica: recent findings concerning clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy.

Acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) was diagnosed in 2 siblings, boy and girl, at the age of 10 and 6 weeks. The family history is unremarkable except for consanguinity 5 generations previously. The clinical symptoms of the 2 patients conformed to the known features of AE, the gastrointestinal involvement loosing its significance with increasing age.

[Quantitative determination of alpha1-antitrypsin in lung tissue from adults with emphysema and newborns with respiratory-distress-syndrome (author's transl)].

In a small number of patients, lung emphysema can be attributed to a remarkable deficiency of alpha1-antitrypsin. Concentrations reduced about 50% of the normal value represent a predisposing factor. In most cases of newborns with respiratory-distress-syndrome the concentration of alpha1-antitrypsin is decreased.

[Functional analysis in experimental respiratory distress syndrome (author's transl)].

After injection of an anti-lung -serum a respiratory distress syndrome could be produced in spontaneously-breathing guinea pigs. Reduced compliance, increased resistance and work of breathing was found. Morphological investigations showed intraalveolar and interstitial bleedings and a lung edema.